To think that if your child is scared of dogs you should encourage them not to scre and wail if my dog is 300 ft away...

Walking my dog today, she was of lead, about 10ft ahea of me waiting for me to chuck the ball. A child cycled towards us, saw my dog (who is half toy poodle so tiny) and started screaming. My dog just looked at her and then carried on our walk, if she was the type to run up to strangers/kids she wouldn't be off the lead. However, when she was a puppy and less well trained this screaming was an invitation (in her mind) to investigate.

While I accept that some children are scared of dogs, and that is fine. I would have thought that if there is a dog in the general vicinity encouraging your DC not to scream is probably for the best when the dog is ignoring you completely. AIBU, we all want to use the local facilities happily.

My dd would have done the same at one stage, she was terrified, there is no way I could have stopped her screaming and crying. It took years and a very, very kind lady to get her over her phobia of dogs and I was always looked down upon by dog owners who thought I was somehow encoraging her phobia.

You need to keep your dog under control at all times, no matter what anyone does. Or would you really like to see it destroyed because a child screamed, startled the dog, and it bit them? Children take priority over dogs in our society, legally, and generally speaking except among dog owners in everyone's minds too. <pops corn and awaits flames to toast marshmallows over> I'd put your asbestos knickers on if I were you lovey

My friend's DD had a dog phobia. She was okayish if the dog was on a lead, but very scared if not. Not unreasonable in my opinion - even a small dog is pretty big to a small child. I don't like it when dogs are off the lead in an area where children play.

We walk our dog in a very large wood. Sometimes I let my dog off the lead in this very big wood. Very occasionally, will meet a person or group of people. Perhaps the OP was in a place like this, not in a park with a children's area etc, and has every right to walk her well behaved dog.

My dog is mostly off lead. He is called to me if anybody comes close etc and told to sit and wait, which he does. Insinuating dogs should never be let off their leads is ridiculous. Not every dog owner is irresponsible.